If you are a member and you are experiencing financial difficulties, whether due to coronavirus or other circumstances, There for You can offer you support, including one-off grants.
School Clothing Grant 2022
There for You School Clothing Grant – Launch date Friday 24th June 2022
Note: Applications will not be available before this date. For more information on the grant program and application process, please read through the details below.
What is the fund for?
- A Grant has been put in place that will assist our most vulnerable members with the cost of providing school clothing. This is in response to the growing difficulties many members on low incomes face, especially with the cost-of-living crisis. How much are the Grants?
They are one-off non repayable grants of £70 per school age child. Only one application can be accepted per household.
Am I eligible?
- To be eligible, you must meet the following:
- You are a member for at least 4 weeks and have paid 4 weeks subscriptions before 24 June 2022.
- You are financially responsible for the child/children and receiving Child Benefit for them.
- You have total combined (you and your partner if applicable) savings/rolling bank balance(s) of less than £1,000
And either:
- Your household has a net income of less than £26,000 per anum
Or
- You are in receipt of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit or Tax Credit payments.
Important information:
Please note that the date of application will be taken as the date we receive the form, and all required supporting documents.
As this is a limited fund, we cannot guarantee you will receive a payment even if you meet the eligibility criteria. It is therefore important that you apply as early as possible.
We will need the following supporting documentation from you with your application form:
- Most recent payslip for you, and your partner (if applicable)
- Most recent 30-day bank statement for all bank accounts held by you, and your partner (if applicable) Your bank statement must show all income and transactions for a complete month including Child Benefit Payments.
Please note we cannot consider applications without a membership number and all supporting documents.
How do I send my form with supporting documents?
Complete the form and email to (please ensure this is password protected): grants.schoolclothing@unison.co.uk
Alternatively post to:
FREEPOST UNISON
2022 School Clothing Grant
There for You
How will you contact me?
All contact will either be by email or phone. We may need to contact you to request further information.
Please remember to check your junk/spam folders
Plus (if applicable):
- Proof of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit payments or Tax Credit payments.
Winter fuel grant
The 2022 Winter Fuel Grant Programme is now closed. Due to exceptionally high demand since 31st January, we have utilised the funding available.
If you have applied for a grant we will be in touch in due course and are unable to respond to individual queries at this time.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, then please review other grant programmes on our website for which you may be eligible to apply.
COVID-19 response fund
The Covid-19 Response Fund has been temporarily paused. We will provide an update on the grant programme as soon as possible.
Members who have already applied will have received an email message confirming receipt. We are processing applications as quickly as we can.
Any queries relating to the covid grant program please direct to covidgrantenquiries@unison.co.uk.
Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to answer individual queries concerning grant payments.
Other financial assistance
You may have financial difficulties for all sorts of unexpected reasons, such as:
- Loss of income;
- Relationship breakdown;
- Bereavement;
- Suffering from a long illness;
- Needing to buy equipment because of a disability;
- Caring for someone with special needs or an illness.
What we can help with
There for You is proud to support thousands of members and their families every year with things such as:
- general living costs
- household appliances
- urgent repairs
- disability equipment and adaptations
- utility bills
- funeral costs.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for financial assistance, you must have been a member of UNISON for at least four weeks and up-to-date with your subscriptions. Also, that the financial difficulties that led you to apply occurred after you joined. Partners or dependants can also apply.
To apply, please download an application form, fill it out and return it to us along with scans, screenshots or photos of your supporting paperwork.
If you have difficulty completing the form, email us at thereforyou@unison.co.uk or call 020 7121 5620 and leave a message with your contact details. We will be in touch as soon as possible to help you through the process.
UNISON benefits calculator
See what help is available from benefits if you’re affected by coronavirus, and make sure you’re getting all the help you’re eligible for with the UNISON Benefits Calculator.
UNISON budget planner
The first vital step in taking control of your finances is to create your own personal budget plan. Our user friendly budget planner is free to use and should only take minutes to complete if you have all your financial information to hand.
Help with debt
Even a small change in circumstances can turn a manageable situation into a debt problem that may threaten your home or your family’s wellbeing. UNISON Debtline is a free, confidential debt advice service that can help you deal with all sorts of debt.
Resources
